BFF seeks FIFA favour for MSC

After the failure of Mohammedan's plea to pay the fees of coach Emeka Ezeugo in three instalments was rejected by FIFA, the Professional Football League Committee (PFLC) of the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) yesterday said that they will use 'personal relationships' in an attempt to convince FIFA's disciplinary committee to waive the three-point deduction handed to Mohammedan in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League.

In 2015, FIFA's disciplinary committee had instructed Mohammedan to clear unpaid wages of 20,000 dollars to coach Emeka Ezeugo, who lodged a complaint in 2012.

On October 30 FIFA's disciplinary committee instructed the BFF to deduct three points from Mohammedan in the ongoing league immediately. Mohammedan sought 30 days to clear the payment, and the BFF sent FIFA a letter on their behalf asking for a 30-day extension to clear the dues on November 18. However, on November 29 the game's governing body declined the request and instructed that three points be cut and Emeka's unpaid dues be cleared immediately before further disciplinary action was taken.

"Actually the BFF is run according to the guidelines set by the AFC and FIFA, so if there is any instruction from them, we must implement it. There is a payment matter which Mohammedan are discussing with the BFF and we told them to pay it immediately. I asked my office (BFF) to end this issue only by the payment," said PFLC chairman and BFF senior vice president Abdus Salam Murshedy after a meeting at the BFF House yesterday.

"We asked the [BFF] general secretary [Abu Nayeem Shohag] to ask our president [Kazi Salahuddin], who has a good position in the FIFA and AFC, to run interference on our behalf. Besides that we have an [FIFA] executive member [Mahfuza Akter Kiron] from Bangladesh and we have requested them to try and get the punishment [deduction of three points] waived and they will try for the next two days," he continued.

"As we work closely with the clubs, we want to work a bit on the deduction of Mohammedan's points. Although we don't know whether it is possible, we want to try it as we have good relations with AFC and FIFA," Murshedy explained.

Stay updated on the go with The Daily Star News App. Click here to download it for your device.